Let's face it - you can find anything you want online. This holiday season, more people are turning to places like Amazon to avoid the endless lines and crowds in the shopping malls. People turn to Uber for a ride, instead of hailing a cab. And when people want to meet someone, they download Tinder and start swiping.

Online fitness is no different. It’s increasing in popularity. Instead of hiring an expensive trainer and being at the mercy of his/ her schedule, you can join an online program and pursue your workout regime at 2:00am if you want. In addition to a more flexible schedule, there are other benefits – and drawbacks – to using an online fitness service.

Following are some advantages of using an online fitness service:

More choice. When you look for online fitness programs, you have the luxury of working out with a celebrity trainer or fitness guru that you wouldn’t have access to if you live in another town. You can also go for someone who specializes in say – firming and toning the glutes, or a specific type of workout. You are not restricted to who is available at your local gym.

Less expensive. To work with a personal trainer, you can pay hundreds of dollars a week. If there is a good trainer you’d like to use and his schedule books up fast, see if he has an online training program you can join. It is a fraction of the cost for the same instruction, because it doesn’t require his time.

Convenience means consistence. As I mentioned earlier, you have the flexibility to work out when it is convenient for you – not your trainer. So if you have a last-minute meeting or have to go out of town for a week, you can still access your training program without missing a beat. It helps to keep you consistent.

Support is part of the cost, not extra. Most online fitness programs come with a bit of online hand-holding, where you can email your trainer, get feedback on food choices, or get questions answered – outside of your fitness training program. When you hire a trainer for one-on-one sessions, chances are, she won’t be accessible outside of the hours you pay for.

Online fitness programs aren’t for everyone. Some people like the in-person interaction, or the fact that their bodies can be evaluated and adjusted in the program so they can better avoid injury. Also, some people work better by having a set schedule, so they are forced to get up at 6:00am to get to the trainer, or leave work by 5:30 to meet a trainer every Monday and Thursday. You know yourself – if you don’t feel comfortable, or you think that you won’t be motivated enough to monitor yourself and your progress (and keep up with your workouts), hiring a personal trainer might be a better alternative for you.

But if you’re willing to give online fitness programs a shot, there are many resources out there to help you get started.